Flower bed edging implement



v P. M. GARABRANT FLOWER BED EDGING IMPLEMENT April 3o, 1940.

Filed March 2o, 1939 Z3 l 1,11%!1111111115 H Pff/@ey /V/.' G4p/15941K INVENTOR.

BY/@fzmw ATTORNEYS.

Patented Apr.l 30, 1940 FLOWER BED' EDGING IMPLEMENT n 'Perry' M. Garabrant, Scotch Plains, N. J.

Application lMarch 20,

8 Claims.

This invention; `relates to improvements in cular or other curved shaped iiower bed may be accurately laid out without the ai-d of guide markers.

'Another feature ofr the invention is to provide a -garden tool which is adapted for use in edging round, oval, or other curved edged flofwer and shrubberybe'ds, to assure an even curved edge which cannot be obtained bythe ordinary garden spade or straight blade edges generally used for edging purposes.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of a ower bed edger4 which includes a flexible metal blade whose inherent characteristic is normally fiat, but which carries a novel means for effecting a flexing Iof the blade to diiferentcurvatures and for maintaining the flexed blade in a set lcurved'position for use.

.l Another feature of the invention is to provide anl edging implement for trimming the curved edges of flower beds, shrubbery beds, lawns, driveways, and the like, which is simple and inexpensive of construction, light in weight and readily `adjustable to conform to the curvature of the edge to be trimmed.

Other features of the linvention will be apparent as the following specification is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective View showing my edging impl-ement in use for laying out a circular flower bed.

Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the edging implement per se, the blade being adjusted to a predetermined curvature. 40 Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 3--3 of Figure 2 and showing in dotted lines,

the normal flat straight position of the edging y blade.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

' Figure 5 is an enlarged detail horizontal sectional view through the exible connection between one end of the vblade and the adjacent end of the turnbuckle.

Referring to the drawing by reference characters, the numeral I0 designates my flower bed edging implement in its entirety and which in- Y cludes a normally flat relatively thin flexible blade Il of rectangular configuration. The blade II is preferably vconstructed of spring steel of in a garden implementby the use lof which a cir-` 1939, serial No. y262,339 (o1. 294-49) about one-sixteenth thickness, although I do -not wish to limit myself to any particular thickness of metal for other thicknesses may be adaptable so lo-ng as the blade may be flexed into arcuate shape along its length. The blade Il straight botto-m cutting edgei2 and a straight top edge I3. Fixed to the blade I Imidway between its ends is one end of a handle I4, the said handle being secured to the blade by boltsl-E. The upper end of the handle Ill terminates in a hand grip' i6. The top edge i3 at opposite sides or. the handle I4 constitutes footrest portions Il-I'I similar to those provided von a garden spade.

The blade II adjacentopposite ends thereof is provided-with a pair of spaced openings' III- I8 through each of which the threaded shank I9 of a bolt Zllextends. The bolt 29 has a flat head hasvr a Tf s PATENT oFFicE l or flange '2| intermediate its endsl and lwhich flange `lits against the front side of the blade II. l

A cap nut V22 is threaded to the shank I9 and cooperates with the Aflat head or flange 2l -to se` cure lthe Vbolt rigidly to the blade Il.l The forwardly extending portion of the bolt loosely carries a split ring`23 `and the rings 23 adjacent opposite ends of the blade form part of :a exible connection for the :opposite ends of ya turnbuckle device 24. The turnbuckle device:` 24 includes a pair of rods 25-25 .having eyes '26at the-outer ends thereof and which eyes engage 'the respective rings 23. The inner ends of the rods 25-25 are reversely screw threaded as atV 21, that is, the threads on the end of one rod 25 is a right hand thread and those on the inner end of the other rod are left hand threads. The threaded ends of the rods 25-25 are connected by a turnbuckle 28, the opposite ends of the turnbuckle being provided with reversely threaded bores 29 which respectively receive the corresponding threaded ends 21 of the rods 25. From the construction just described, it will be seen that by rotating the turnbuckle 28, the rods 25-25 may be drawn toward each other to increase the degree of flexing of the blade I I and by turning the turnbuckle in an opposite direction, the degree of curvature of the blade may be decreased.

'I'he exible connections which secure opposite ends of the turnbuckle device 24 to the blade II permits of a relatively wide vrange of flexing of the blade and permits the .turnbuckle device to lie substantially parallel to the front side of the bladewhen the blade is in a normal flat unfiexed position.

. In Figure 1 of the drawing' I have the useV of the yimplement I0 for laying out a illustrated circular flower bed. To lay out a circular ower bed, the turnbuckle 28 is turned to effect a flexing of the blade I I to a curvatur'e which forms a segment of a circle of a predetermined diameter. After the blade is set to the proper curvature, the operator presses the bottom edge I2 downwardly into the earth which upon withdrawal of the blade leaves an arcuate mark. By progressively shifting the blade and pressing down thereon to produce further arcuate marks, a complete circle may be marked out, after which the operator or gardener may take the usual spade and dig the bed or plot within the boundary of the marks made by the arcuately flexed blade I I.

When the implement III is to be used for trimming up curved edges of flower or shrubbery beds, the blade II is flexed to the proper curvature by the manipulation of the turnbuckle 28 and the operator trims the curved edge of the flower bed to the curvature of the set blade; In all instances, the curvature of the flexed blade I I predetermines the curvature of the edge trimmed thereby.

While I hav-e shown and described what I consider to be the most practical embodiment of my invention, I wish it to be understood that such changes in construction and arrangement of parts may be resorted .to as come within the.

scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

l. An implement of the class described comprising a handle, a normally straight flexible blade fixedly secured to one end of said handle, and means carried by said blade for effecting an arcuate flexing of said blade and for maintaining the same in such arcuate flexed position.

2. An implement of the class described comprising a handle, a normally straight flexible blade secured to one end of said handle, and adjustable means connected to said blade adjacent opposite ends thereof for electing and maintaining an arcuate ilex in said blade.

3. An implement of the class described comprising a normally at exible blade having a lower straight working edge, a handle having one of its ends xedly secured to said blade midway between its ends and extending above the top edge thereof, and means carried by said blade for flexing said blade from one end thereof to the other and for maintaining the same in an adjusted exed position.

4. An edging implement for curved iiower beds comprising a normally at elongated ilexible blade, a handle having one of its ends flxedly secured to said blade midway between the ends thereof, and a turnbuckle device having its ends connected adjacent the opposite ends of said blade on the inner side thereof.

5. An edging implement comprising a relatively thin ilexible metal blade Whose inherent characteristic is flat, a handle having one of" its ends rlxedly attached to said blade, and adjustable means carried by said blade for exing and securing said blade in various arcuate positions.

6. A ower bed edger comprising a exible blade, a handle secured to said blade, and a turnbuckle device for arcuately liexing said blade including a pair of spaced rods having reverse threads on the inner ends thereof, means connecting the outer ends of said rods to the end portions of said blade, anda turnbuckle threadedly connected to the reversely threaded inner ends of said rods.

'7. A flower bed edger comprising a normally flat ilexible metal blade, a handle secured to said blade, and means carried by said blade for effecting a flexing of said blade and for securing the blade in ilexed condition including a pair of alined rods having their inner ends reversely threaded and disposed in spaced relation, flexible connections between the outer ends of said rods and end portions of said blade, and a turnbuckle member threaded to the reversely threaded ends of said rods.

8. A garden implement comprising a relatively thin normally at rectangular shaped blade elongated in a horizontal direction, a handle secured to said blade midway between its ends and extendto said blade midway betwen its ends and extending upwardly above the top edge thereof, the top edge of said blade at oppositesides of said handle constituting footrests, and means extending lengthwise of said blade on one side thereof and attached thereto adjacent the ends of said blade for eiecting and maintaining said blade at various exed arcuate positions.

PERRY M. GARABRANT- 

